Gracideas
by An abundance of squids
Summary: Everything has a purpose. Even when the world seems to be more than a chaotic mess of weeds, there is an order to the chaos, even if the gods themselves do not see it. short story involving legends, life and flowers.


The Pokémon coughed as it looked around the garden in surprise.

He didn't expect to end up here of all places. An eternally burning pit of hell maybe, or an unbreakable prison. Not a garden.

He got up and brushed itself down, cringing a little as its wounds bleed a little. Maybe this was a prison. Maybe this was some cruel ironic joke fate or Arceus had decided to pull on him. It shuddered a little. Being forced to live the rest of his immortal life in a field of nature did like seem like something that would drive it insane after a while.

The divine being looked up to the sky and cried "Is this some sick joke Arceus!? Do you think that you can keep me here forever?! You won't! Mark my words, you satanic llama, I will find a way out of this!"

"Who said it was a punishment?" a small voice asked from at the Pokémon's feet.

"Go away. This does not concern you mortal."

"And what made you think that Mewtwo?" the smaller Pokémon made a small sound of disapproval. "if I am a mortal, I don't know what you are." the genetic Pokémon finally looked down to see a small, hedgehog like Pokémon standing there.

"Who in the blue blazes are you!? And how do you know my name?!"

"My name does not matter. You should really rest…" the Pokémon made a small motion indicating for the hybrid to follow.

Mewtwo, on the other hand, did not seem so inclined.

"Who are you? You're with them, aren't you? You're a legendary Pokémon!"

"I am a legend, yes, but I am on neither side of your war. Please. Come with me. I can't bear to see you like this…"

"And why should I go with you? Why should I go to what could be only be my final fate?"

"Because I'm the reason why you're here at all, instead of on a rock, having your gizzards being eaten daily by Yvetal." the hedgehog suddenly snapped. "so, if you want to live, listening to me is your best chance."

Begrudgingly, the larger Pokémon followed.

"But who are you even?"

"I said my name my name is not important, but it is Shaymin." the gratitude Pokémon replied. "sit down here." the taller Pokémon obeyed, sitting down on the grass.

"What are you doing here even?"

"I tend to my garden." the Shaymin replied as it wrapped Mewtwo's arm in a green bandage made of some sort of plant.

"Garden?" now that the Mewtwo had a chance to look at it more closely, the arrangement of flowers was more of an entropic mess than it was a garden.

"Perhaps it is only that in the loosest sense of the term. But we all have to start somewhere."

"Why do you leave it like this?" he gestured at the plants with its uninjured arm.

"Because its where they all belong. There is nothing wrong with its so called 'chaos'."

"Try telling that to Arceus." the genetic Pokémon spat.

"Me and Arceus don't always agree on how this world should be run…but that is a fact I can't help. While you with your human mind may see it as pure discord, I see it as perfect harmony. Every flower is where it belongs, even if it's out of place or order." Shaymin sighed. "if only everyone saw the world like that."

"You said something about you being the only reason I am here."

"Yes." the Shaymin turned to face the 'garden'. Just like this field, every being in life has a place and a time. While some may only bloom for a few days, others stay evergreen for aeons. And there is balance to all this. While some lives may blot out all others, taking over them, like cancer," Shaymin pointed at a red, weed-like growth that smothered several other plants. "there will always be one that with stand strong and pure though it all." she pointed at another plant, a single violet that grew, despite the entanglement of red around it.

"But how…"

"I'm getting to that part. While Arceus might see you as a weed, an unholy spawn of humanity, I believe that that isn't the case. You just need to wait for your time. And when that happens…" Shaymin pointed at a flower, pink petals still in its bud. "…who knows what you'll be. You just need to be patient."

"but what about in the meanwhile? I still have Arceus breathing down my neck over spilt milk…"

"just remember who you are Mewtwo and never cease to fight for what you stand for. And remember, always be grateful for your blessings."

"blessings?" it let out a short laugh. "I have no blessings." 

"I can think of one. Your life."

"my life? Do you know who I am? My life is not a blessing; It is a curse. Nothing in my life is a blessing Shaymin."

"perhaps that is your fault."

"are you saying it's my fault that I am who I am? Are you saying that it is my fault that I am hated and hunted? Are you saying it's my fault that I was made the being I was though torture and hatred?" The Pokémon yelled, suddenly on the defensive.

"I am saying that it is your fault that you do not see the blessings that have been given to you. Change your perspective Mewtwo, and your world changes around you. That is the first step to changing your world. Changing how you perceive it. Don't think about all humanity has done to hurt you. Think about what they have done to help you. Think about all life has given you. You're not dumb Mewtwo, and you know that as well as I do. You've been given chances at life and you've taken them. If your life ended right now, would you regret it?"

"I still don't understand you." The psychic got up. "I don't know what you are or what you have done to me, but I need to go now." It looked to the sky. "there will be a round two Arceus..." It muttered.

"I know nothing of your quarrel with the legends, but perhaps you would find some peace and perhaps power if you stopped to reflect."

"there is nothing in my life to be grateful for Shaymin. You know nothing about me if you think there is."

"perhaps I know nothing about it. But there is one thing in it that every living being can be grateful for, you included." The Shaymin rummaged around un her green spine-like leaves and pulled out a shard of glass from her foliage.

Mewtwo telekinetically took the glass from the hedgehog and looked at it, surprise taking over its usually emotionless face.

"how did you..." He asked, putting the glass up to the light of the sun. "I destroyed this. I destroyed the entire lab."

"not this bit. We all have something to be thankful for. And while whether you thank the gods in the sky or the men who made you is not of my concern, I know that you can thank whoever you believe for this one thing."

"my life?"

"yes. In fact, you should be more thankful than any other being on this planet. People gave their life to make you."

"they didn't give their life. I killed them."

"they knew that what they made would possibly kill them. But yet they still went ahead and made you." Shaymin pulled out another object from her quills. This time, the Mewtwo drew back and hissed, instantly recognising the thing.

"I will never be thankful for them."

"perhaps you should be. Without them, you would never be who you are today."

"and that would be a good thing." He spat.

"don't take yourself too harshly. You are better than you hold yourself Mewtwo. You just need to change how you see yourself. You aren't the abomination Arceus says you are. You aren't the weapon humanity wants you to be. You aren't the monster pokekind holds you as. And like the flower-" Shaymin pointed at the budded flower. "-your time will come."

The Mewtwo paused and looked down at the flower.

And smiled.

"maybe you are right. Maybe it is my view of the world that is wrong, not theirs." It looked up to the sky once again. "I once said that it is not what you are but what you do that defines who you are. But what we all do changes from person to person."

"it shouldn't matter what others think - only what you think." Shaymin put down the shard of armour it had been holding. "go now and fight. I do not know what battle you fight, but fight it knowing that it is with reason and purpose. And fight it knowing that others have sacrificed themselves for you."

The Mewtwo nodded and teleported away, leaving Shaymin alone once more.

The once budded pink flower suddenly opened, unfurling its petals.

"and maybe that time is now..." Shaymin whispered, walking over to the gracidea.


End file.
